| Hanchell, Greene charged by SIPT | | Print | |
| Written by Richard Green/richard@fptci.com | |||
| Thursday, 09 February 2012 14:22 | |||
 Updated Feb. 10: Former Turks and Caicos Islands government Minister McAllister Hanchell and Progressive National Party Leader Clayton Greene were both charged Feb. 7 with crimes by the Special Investigation and Prosecution Team. Both men issued statements saying they were innocent of the allegations and would fight the charges in court. On Feb. 9, both men appeared in Magistrate's Court on Providenciales, where Magistrate Clifton Warner released both men on $175,000 bail. They were scheduled to appear April 17 in the Supreme Court on Providenciales for a sufficiency hearing with other defendants charged with corruption in SIPT's ongoing probe. Greene, an attorney, faces three counts of laundering money for former Minister Floyd Hall. SIPT prosecutor Mark Weekes said the total damages alleged in the transactions is $1.7 million. Hanchell is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery with former Premier Michael Misick and other former ministers to receive cash, credit and other advantages allegedly totaling $1.1 million. At a press conference Jan. 18, Greene confirmed that he had been questioned about $1 million that was deposited in his law firm’s trust account and distributed for his cousin, Quentin Hall, for sale of Crown land in 2006. Greene said he had no indication the transaction was not legitimate. Weekes told the magistrate that $1 million was in fact for the benefit of Floyd Hall from the sale of land on North West Point on Providenciales. Quentin Hall and Earlson Robinson have been charged with receiving proceeds from an illegal land transaction. Charged with conspiracy are Quentin Hall's brother, Floyd Hall, former minister Jeffery Hall, and former ministers Lillian Boyce and Samuel Been. All are free on bail awaiting sufficiency hearings in April. “I was invited by Special Investigations and Prosecution Team to attend an interview today, February 7th, 2012, of which I attended of my own will,” Hanchell said in a press statement Feb 7.“I was subsequently charged and will appear before the chief magistrate in connection with the charge. I am innocent and will defend this charge. I will not be commenting further at this time.” Greene issued a statement Feb. 8 saying that he has done nothing wrong: “For the last week it has been rumoured that I might be charged on the next occasion that I attended at the offices of the Special Investigation and Prosecution Team. That rumour was not without basis, and yesterday afternoon I was charged. “I have done nothing wrong, and I am confident that acquittal and vindication will come in due course. “I encourage the special investigators to move quickly to bring me before the courts on the charges so that this matter can be concluded as soon as possible. It is necessary that these matters be determined sooner rather than later so that the country and its people can begin again to move forward.” Others charged so far in the investigation include Floyd Hall's wife Lisa Hall, former Premier Michael Misick’s brother Chal Misick, an attorney; attorney Melbourne Wilson; and developers Richard Padgett and Jak Civre. The U.K. suspended the elected government in this overseas territory in 2009 after allegations of widespread corruption among government ministers and others were made at the conclusion of a Commission of Inquiry. Photos: Clayton Greene (left); McAllister Hanchell (right)
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